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Letters to the Editor

Ask a Big Question, Win a Big Prize

Every American newspaper should ask every elected official on the local ballot, from drain commissioner to U.S. senator, one question: Do you believe the Big Lie? Putting them all on record would be an incalculably valuable public service. Every newspaper would deserve a Pulitzer Prize. Rephrase the question. Make it: "Was the 2020 presidential election rigged?" Yes or no answers. Unequivocal. No waffling. Publish the results prominently. Give special note to any officeholder too cowardly to answer. It will be the most-read copy you've published in a long time. Your subscribers ...

Elect Clowns, Expect a Circus

When community members attend a school board meeting they do so with the expectation their time will be spent in a useful manner. What they do not expect to witness is a clown-car side show production meant to prove some useless point. If the community members attending the August 25th school board meeting expected to see a group of elected officials conducting the urgent business of school priorities, they were certainly disappointed. It was a three-ring circus clown show. When you elect clowns to do the serious business of piloting a school system you will have a circus… people not ...

A Missed Opportunity

The headline story in The Alpena News on Monday, Sept. 8th, was about improvementsthe city is making to address storm runoff, improve natural habitats and protect the water quality of Lake Huron. The improvements include dune restoration, a pollinator garden… and a 1,000-square-foot rain garden. A public statement describes rain gardens as “green stormwater infrastructure.” The statement went on to say, “Rain gardens can reduce the load on underground storm sewers, prolonging the life of these systems, and contribute to cleaner drinking water.” This is what could have been on ...

Concerned Christian

As a Christian I am concerned what the results will be because of cuts in USAID as reported in the Lancet. The Lancet is an a weekly, peer-reviewed general medical journal founded in England and is considered one of the world's most prestigious and influential sources of medical research and opinion. The Lancet predicted around 700,000 childhood deaths per year due to cuts in U.S. foreign aid, specifically from the dismantling and severe reduction of USAID programs. This estimate is part of a broader projection that over 14 million preventable deaths could occur globally by 2030, ...

Enough with the Attacks on the School Board — Grow Up

Let’s call this what it is: a full-blown meltdown. A VERY small group of people in our community have made it their full-time hobby to harass the local school board. Not because of corruption or scandal — but simply because they don’t like someone else’s perspective or opinion. And instead of voicing disagreement like normal humans, they’ve chosen personal attacks, rambling rants in this paper, and Facebook conspiracy posts. Let’s be real: this isn’t civic engagement. It’s targeted harassment. Our board members — who, by the way, are actual human beings with jobs, ...

Potty Talk

At the August Alpena Public School board meeting, during public comment, one of the speakers shared surprising information about the proposed bathroom policy. She questioned why Monica Dziesinski and Sarah Costain, whose children attend All Saints, are promoting the Fairview bathroom policy and not the All Saints bathroom policy. Dziesinski, in particular, has been the most vocal about the need for the bathroom policy at APS. Why look elsewhere? This speaker spoke with parents whose children attend All Saints and they were not aware of a bathroom policy. She became suspicious and ...